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cebwrites · 2 months ago

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Konohamaru: Origins

a/n: the title's a little misleading-- yes konohamaru is heavily featured, but this is mainly about his dad who's an oc 🫶

oc | gen word count: 1.9k

When Konohamaru was born, Azura and the Third had a huge blowout argument. Namely over the fact that Konohamaru came to them in a basket on their doorstep, brought in by ANBU guards.

Hiruzen was furious at his carelessness, insisting that they sent the unnamed infant to a foster family or at least a shelter because there was no way he was ready to take on a child; let alone a baby. Azura, just barely 19 and out of his mind with stress and other overwhelming feelings, refused.

Asuma made the mistake of questioning the legitimacy of this claim and ignited an entirely new argument in the confines of their living room. Part of him wished he could swap places with the ANBU outside ordered to pacify the kid over all this screaming.

It was the first time Asuma had seen their father that upset and his brother that angry and culminated in a silence that permeated the house for at least a week, only broken by the baby's babbles or midnight crying. Eventually, Azura left. Packed up his newborn son, everything he could fit in an overnight bag, his mother's picture with the basket Konohamaru came in, and slammed the door behind him.

It took around an hour for the adrenaline to wear off for Azura to realize he was out on his ass.

He considered his options; a hotel would be a quick fix but he didn't know if the money he crammed into his pockets would last, Hyou had two other young siblings already at home, so did Tsume (she also scared him), and as much as he loved and respected his other team mate, something about Sou told him that his house probably wasn't fit for a baby.

Azura felt the grace of god that day when Hizashi was close enough to the front of the Hyuga compound to see him begging another branch member to let him see his sensei at this time of night.

He was brought indoors immediately, if only to take the bundle of fussy hands and chakra not dissimilar from his own held so closely to Azura's chest Hizashi was worried his grip was too tight. Once Konohamaru - a named decided on by the Third - was fed Hiashi stepped in to see what all the commotion was about and locked eyes with his brother's student.

He looked a mess; bloodshot eyes and a heavy 5 o'clock shadow, the rest of him looked mildly unkempt from his tussled hair to the single fingerless glove and uneven bandages. His stare was vacant as he attempted to lull his son to slumber. If not for the knowledge of his specific circumstances, Azura would've been just the standard image of a new parent.

Hiashi had a litany of questions and protests, but his twin wordlessly communicated that they'd talk about it later with a motion of his hand. He had a teenager on the verge of tears with a baby in tow. Hizashi had heard rumors in the few days prior but he never took village gossip to heart; but more importantly it was his student that came knocking for help, and Hizashi fully intended to offer it.

Come sunrise, Hyou and Soitsu were called over for an impromptu team meeting - only to be met with their sensei's son curiously watching an unfamiliar baby play with one of his old toys. Before this, Azura was sure he'd never seen both his team mates' pupils not at least partially covered by their eyelids. He was immediately bombarded with questions, concern and confusion in equal measure, and it took the better half of the morning to fully answer everything.

Among those questions, Sou was the one to pose what Asuma had said initially; if Konohamaru even was his baby. The answering elbow in the rib from Hyou and their team mate's twisting expression did nothing to deter him. Sluggishly, Azura pulled a note from his pocket - the only other thing that had arrived with Konohamaru aside from the basket.

It spoke of how the woman who'd left him had planned to keep this a secret, how she thought she could handle it all on her own without burdening him but ultimately a child was too much of a burden for her, and that she was sorry. Azura knew the penmanship well, because he'd been writing letters to her for a year or so prior to their meetup. She was a nice girl who lived near the port and offered him a hiding place while he fought the missing-nin plaguing their small merchant town.

Remembering the argument he had with his father about tracking her down to give the child back bittered the taste of Azura's tea as he sipped.

When all was said and done, the sun was close to the horizon. They'd spent all day just lounging about on Hizashi's porch, no closer to a solution for Azura's lodging. For the Konohamaru's sake, the idea of sucking it up and just going home was floated around a lot but he was still too angry to so much as look at his father. Azura wouldn't be able to leave the village on missions, either, unless he found someone to babysit his son for extended periods of time - and everyone here had their own mouths to feed.

What they landed on? Was that Azura and baby Konohamaru would stay the Hyuga compound, at least for the moment. Hizashi was sure his brother and the elders would protest and write up a long list of their objections, but their sensei insisted that it would be better for Konohamaru's overall wellbeing to not be exposed to too many germs and different environments if his father had to bring him on the move constantly.

Hyou offered to babysit when he could, since they were already juggling Hana and Kiba in their spare time for Tsume. And, uneasy as he looked, Sou promised he'd support him as best he could as a friend, whenever he asked, through the likelihood of him babysitting was very low, being completely transparent with him.

Azura was so happy he could cry. So he cried, and he wept at the feet of his team in prostration and eternal gratitude.

Weeks passed and everyone got on with their lives with these new (although temporary) arrangements. Jaws dropped, Azura explained the situation that brought him here over and over again, he was quite tired of this rinse and repeat cycle honestly. Reactions ranged from shock to unearned praise, and understandable concern. By the end of it, he had half a mind to just let the rumors catch everyone up because it seemed like half the village already knew anyway.

He was lucky enough to catch Tsunade on her way out of the village with Shizune to run a last minute check-up to make sure Konohamaru was the happy, healthy, bouncing baby boy he seemed to be.

Months had gone by, knowledge of the Third Hokage's new grandson had run its course through the village and soon became old news. Azura hadn't taken any new missions in that time, but he subsisted on the help of his friends and Hizashi's grace.

Lord Third was sure his son come crawling back soon, realizing just how (right Hiruzen was) difficult parenting would be and secede to his father's perfectly reasonable solutions. But the longer he waited, the longer Azura's absence weighed on him. Hiruzen considered just calling him into his office as an order from the Hokage, but he didn't think that would go over too well.

Asuma called his bluff, pointing out that he was just scared of rejection if Azura refused to come home and if he really cared about his brother like he claimed to, he'd get off his ass and talk to him instead of creepily watching his son and grandson through a crystal ball like some kind of weirdo. Hiruzen huffed and puffed his pipe, muttering something under his breath about the right timing long after his youngest had left the Kage's office.

His moment came in Azura's darkest.

After only a handful of months living there, Azura had to find a new home for him and his son with the death of Hyuga Hizashi. Sensitive information that was only shared with other people at the top in Konoha and their guards that had to pretend not to know - but considering one of his students was living there, he might as well let them all know; it was only fair that he told them beforehand.

The team was devastated, whether they showed it or not, but no one was more shattered than Azura - the most tenderhearted of the three of them. Of course they were, these were kids that Hizashi practically raised. Hiashi wasn't cruel enough to throw an almost 20 something and his infant son out on the day of, but there was an expectation that they'd have to leave eventually, ideally soon. Azura and Hyou made sure to check on Neji even in their own grief, the boy was inconsolable the last they saw him. But without Hizashi there to give them away in, Neji would once again be sheltered away (from outside harm but also comfort) in the private Hyuga compounds.

Azura returned home begrudgingly. Asuma helped him move his things back that Hyuga branch members so graciously packed up without his knowledge while Azura was out on a mission and Konohamaru was at Hyou's. He tried cracking a joke about their stuffiness to his brother as they walked but it fell flat, predictably.

His brother didn't do much else but walk around in a fugue state for the next few days; still caring for his son in familiar motions Azura would be able to do with his eyes closed, but his mind was far enough away for autopilot to kick in.

Finally. Finally.

Hiruzen scooped Konohamaru out from his slumbering father's arms and put him back in his cot. Azura awoke with a startle a moment later; reflexes far too late from an ANBU Black Op, but sooner than one would expect a grieving, sleep deprived young man.

The Third quietly lamented about how Biwako would scold him for sleeping in the same bed with him and Asuma, go on long tirades about how delicate babies were and how the smallest things could put their health in incredible danger. As a medic-nin, the lecture was to be expected, as their mother, Biwako would have a conniption every time she caught her husband doing it.

Azura immediately got up to check on his son, only half listening to his father's spiel but once he was sure Konohamaru was okay - almost paranoid that he'd vanish into thin air if he didn't see him or touch his little hands - Azura sat on the edge of his bed with a heavy creak. After a moment, Hiruzen joined him.

Azura's voice was hoarse when he asked if his mother would be as angry at him as Hiruzen was if she were around to see him in this mess. The Third picked his words carefully; they were both aware of the kind of woman Biwako was - a stern, but loving mother, the strong head on her shoulders was what Hiruzen fell in love with the way she'd always push her husband and children to the best versions of themselves, despite Azura's tenderness as a perceived weakness.

Ultimately, Hiruzen says that even if his mother might have her misgivings, her worries for both her son and grandchild, that she'd come to love them both all the same as he did.

Azura cried in his father's arms that night. Just down the hall, Asuma was surprised he didn't wake the baby with his bawling.

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